DECIDUOUS VARIETIES
**Subject to availability**
Apples
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Anna Apple
Remarkable fruit for mild winter climates in So. Calif., So. Ariz. Heavy crops of sweet, crisp, flavorful apples even in low desert. Fresh/cooked. Keeps 2 months in refrigerator. 200 hours. Self-fruitful or pollinized by Dorsett Golden or Einshemer. USDA Zones 5-10.
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Fuji Apple
Introduction from Japan that quickly became California's favorite apple. Sweet, very crisp and flavorful, excellent keeper. Dull reddish orange skin, sometimes russeted. Ripe mid-September. Excellent pollinizer for other apple varieties. Low chilling requirement - less than 500 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 6-9.
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Gala Apple
Wonderful dessert apple from New Zealand. Crisp, nice blend of sweetness and tartness, rich flavor. Skin reddish orange over yellow. Early harvest, 2 - 3 weeks before Red Delicious. Good pollinizer for other varieties. Adapted to cold- and warm-winter climates. Chilling requirement less than 500 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 4-10.
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Pink Lady Apple
Hot climate apple from Western Australia. Very crisp, sweet tart, distinct flavor, good keeper. Skin reddish pink over green when ripe. White flesh resists browning. Harvest begins late October in Central CA, about three weeks after Fuji. Self-fruitful. 300-400 hours. USDA Zones 6-9.
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Granny Smith Apple
From New Zealand. Large, late, green, all-purpose. Crisp, tart, excellent keeper. Requires long summer. Thrives in hot climates. 400 hours. Prolonged bloom: good pollinizer for other apples. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 6-9.
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Dorsett Golden Apple
Outstanding sweet apple for warm winter areas. Firm, very flavorful, sweet like Golden Delicious. Self-fruitful. Chill 100 hours.
Apricots
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Autumn Glo Apricot
Late season apricot. Fruit is medium size with good flavor. Self-fruitful, chill 500 hours.
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Blenheim Apricot
All-purpose freestone. Sweet, aromatic, flavorful - the long-time No. 1 apricot in California. Early bloom. Late June harvest in Central CA. 400 hours or less. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-8.
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Flora Gold Apricot
All-purpose freestone. Harvest early June. Very good quality, reliable producer. Self-fruitful. Chill 400 hours
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Gold Kist Apricot
Excellent backyard apricot for warm winter climates. Freestone, very good quality. Heavy bearing. Early harvest, 3-4 weeks before Blenheim (Royal). 300 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-9. (Zaiger)
Cherries
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Lapins Cherry
Self-fruitful, dark red sweet cherry from Canada. Large, firm, good flavor. Similar to Van in color, Bing in shape. Sometimes sold as 'Self-fertile Bing.' Ripens 4 days after Bing. 400 hours or less. USDA Zones 5-9.
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Stella Cherry
Self-fruitful. Large, nearly black, richly flavored sweet cherry. Late harvest. 400 hours. Early June.
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Royal Crimson Cherry
The long-awaited low-chill self-fruitful sweet cherry from Zaiger Genetics, Royal Crimson is a consistent producer of large, tasty, crimson-red fruit. Harvest is early to mid May. This important new variety is also an excellent pollinizer for Minnie Royal and Royal Lee. Estimated chill requirement 200-300 hours. Patent applied for. (Zaiger)
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Royal Rainier Cherry
Large yellow cherry with red blush. Excellent flavor. Pollinized by Lapins. 500 hours. Late-May to early-June.
Jujube
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Li Jujube
Reddish brown, dry and wrinkled, sweet and chewy (like dates) when fully ripe in early Fall. Attractive, easy to grow tree: hardy, drought resistant, virtually pest and disease free. Requires long, hot summer. Very low chilling requirement. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 5-10.
Mulberries
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Black Beauty Mulberry
Large, shiny fruit similar to Persian. Can be grown at a tree or a large shrub. Attractive to birds. Self-fruitful. 200 hours or less.
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Pakistan Mulberry
Morus alba 'Pakistan' Long (3 inches), firm, red to black, sweet fruit. Non-staining juice. Month-long early summer harvest. Fruit used fresh and for pies, jams and jellies. Large, vigorous, disease-resistant tree.
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Teas Weeping Mulberry
Morus alba 'Pendula' Fast growing, heat-loving tree with blackberry-like fruit. Mature tree size 20 by 20 ft. Low chilling requirement. USDA Zones 4-9.
Nectarines
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Arctic Jay Nectarine
Taste test winner. very attractive, firm, white fruit freestone frit. Richly flavored, with a balance of acid and sugar. Harvest early July. Self-fruitful. Chill 500 hours.
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Double Delight Nectarine
Sensational fruit: consistently the best flavored yellow nectarine plus magnificent, double pink flowers. Dark red-skinned, freestone fruit is sweet, with unusually rich flavor. Very high scoring in taste tests. Heavy bearing tree. Harvest early to mid-July in Central CA. 300 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
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Gold Mine Nectarine
Long-time favorite in CA. Small to medium sized white-fleshed freestone. Aromatic, juicy and sweet. August. 400 hours. Self-fruitful
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Panamint Nectarine
Attractive red-skinned yellow freestone. Aromatic and intensely flavored with nice acid sugar balance. Dependable, long time favorite in warm winter Southern California climates. Late July/early August. 250 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Sauzee King Nectarine
First 'donut' style nectarine. Outstanding early season variety has white flesh that is sweet and juicy. Red skin, blushed yellow. Self-fruitful. 500 hours and less.
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Snow Queen Nectarine
Taste test winner. Sweet, juicy, early season white freestone. Late June harvest in Central CA, 2-3 weeks ahead of Babcock peach. Long-time favorite in So. Calif. Low chilling requirement, 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Spice Zee Nectaplum
The first NectaPlum™ from Zaiger Genetics: a white-fleshed, nectarine-peach-plum hybrid. Skin is dark maroon at fruit set, and turns pale pink when ripe. Fully ripe fruit is unparalleled in flavor, and both nectarine and plum traits are easily detectable. Tree is quite ornamental. Tremendous purplish pink bloom in the spring, followed by a flourish of red leaves which mature into lush green in late summer. Self-fruitful. Very productive. 200-300 hours. High chill adaptable. (Pat. No. 13503) (Zaiger)
Peaches
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August Pride Peach
Large, all-purpose yellow freestone for mild-winter climates. Sweet, aromatic, rich flavor, one of the very best. Ripens 3-4 weeks after Mid-Pride. Chilling requirement less than 300 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
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Babcock Peach
Long-time favorite white-fleshed freestone. Sweet and juicy, aromatic, low in acid. High scoring in taste tests. Ripens mid-July in Central CA. Widely adapted (low chill requirement, yet not early blooming). 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Desert Gold Peach
Very early ripening: May in Southern Calif./Arizona. Tree-ripened fruit has good flavor and sweetness for such an early variety. Yellow clingstone. Heavy bearing. 200 hours or less. Self-fruitful.
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Donut White Peach
Unique white-fleshed fruit with a sunken center (shaped like a doughnut). Sweet, with a mild flavor described by some as almond-like. Ripens late June/early July in Central CA. Estimated chilling requirement 200-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Evas Pride Peach
Delicious, fine flavored peach with very low chilling requirement ripens 2-3 weeks before Mid-Pride. Medium to large-sized yellow freestone - also recommended as early season peach for moderate climates - harvest 3 weeks before July Elberta. 100-200 hours. Self- fruitful. (Zaiger)
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John Fanick Peach
Large, yellow peach with red blush. named for the breeder. Freestone with exceptional flavor. Harvest late July. Self-fruitful. Chill 450 hours.
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July (Kim) Alberta Peach
Reliable heavy crops. Juicy, sweet, very flavorful yellow freestone fruit for canning, freezing, or fresh use. 400-500 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Mid-Pride Peach
Best yellow freestone for warm winter climates of So. Calif., Phoenix, Houston, S.F. Bay Area. Also recommended for Central CA for its exceptional flavor and dessert quality. Midseason. 250 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
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Red Barron Peach
Flowering/fruiting. Large, juicy, firm, richly flavored yellow freestone fruit. Highly rated in taste tests. Showy double red blossoms. Mid-July. Long-time favorite in Southern CA and Texas. Low chilling requirement, 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Santa Barbara Peach
Large, red-blushed yellow freestone, red near pit. July. 300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Sauzee Swirl Peach
Donut style peach with white flesh swirled red. Skin is tinted pink to dark red. Mid to late-May. Self-fruitful. 400 hours
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Strawberry Free Peach
White, freestone peach. very sweeet, aromatic, juicy, with superb, delicate flavor. Harvest early mid-July. Self-fruitful. Chill 400 hours.
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Sweet Bagel Peach
Large, flat, donut style peach with yellow flesh and classic peach flavor. Late-Aug to early-Sept. Self-Fruitful. 300-400 hours
Asian Pears
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20th Century Pear
Juicy, sweet, mild flavored fruit is crisp like an apple. Early to mid-August in Central CA. Keeps well. Easy to grow, heavy bearing small tree. 300-400 hours. Self-fruitful or pollinized. by Shinseiki, Bartlett, or other.
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Housi Pear
Consistently rated the best-tasting Asian pear at Dave Wilson Nursery fruit tastings. Large, juicy, sweet, flavorful, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Brownish-orange russeted skin. Harvest early to mid-August in Central CA. 300-400 hours. Pollinized by Shinko, Chojuro, Bartlett, or 20th Century.
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Shinseiki Pear
Juicy, sweet, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Easy to grow. Keeps well. Harvest late July/early August in Central CA. Bright yellow skin. Vigorous, heavy bearing (usually by 2nd year). 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
European Pears
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Bartlett Pear
World's most popular pear. Early midseason, high quality, tolerates hot summers. 500-600 hours. Self-fruitful in most climates of Western U.S. Elsewhere, pollinized by Bosc, D'Anjou, Winter Nelis.
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Hood Pear
Very low chilling requirement, interfruitful with Flordahome. Large, early season fruit has yellow-green skin and sweet, mild-flavored flesh. Reported to be highly resistant to fire blight. 100-200 hours.
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Kieffer Pear
Medium to large late season fruit for canning and cooking. Sprightly flavor, coarse texture. Resists fire blight, tolerates hot climates. Dependable crops. 200-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Seckel Pear
Sweet, flavorful, aromatic, spicy. Russeted, brown skin. self-fruitful. Chill 500 hours.
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Southern Bartlett Pear
Chance Sport of Bartlett found on an old Louisiana homestead. Moderate fire blight resistance. Spreading growth habit. Less than 400 hours chill requirement. Self-fertile.
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Southern King Pear
High quality traditional pear. Good for fresh eating or canning. Harvest Aug/Sept. Self-fruitful. Chill 400 hours.
Persimmons
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Fuyu Persimmon
Medium size, flat shape, still crunchy when ripe, non-astringent. Cool or hot climate. Hardy, attractive tree, practically pest free. Fall harvest. 200 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Hachiya Persimmon
Large, deep orange-red, acorn-shaped. Hot summer required to mature the fruit. Sweet, flavorful, astringent until soft ripe. Mature fruit can be frozen and thawed to ripen. Productive, ornamental tree. 200 hours. Self-fruitful.
Plums
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Beauty Plum
Sweet, flavorful plum. Red over yellow skin, amber flesh. Harvest in June. Self-fruitful. Chill 250 hours.
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Burgundy Plum
Maroon colored skin and semi-freestone flesh. Sweet, with little or no tartness and a very pleasing, mild flavor. High taste test scores. Prolonged harvest, mid-July to mid-August in Central CA. Very productive tree with narrow, upright habit. 300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Catalina Plum
Large, black, sweet, and juicy. Firm when fully ripe, with very little tartness at skin and pit. One of the best plums for fresh eating. Late-July. Self-fruitful. 300-400 hours
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Elephant Heart Plum
Home orchard favorite: large, heart-shaped fruit with sweet, juicy, richly flavored, firm red flesh. Dark reddish-purple mottled skin. Long harvest season - September in Central CA. Hardy, heavy bearing tree. 500 hours or less. Pollinize with Beauty or Santa Rosa.
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Hollywood Plum
Delicious medium sized fruit with blood red flesh & skin. Harvest late June. Good for jelly & canning. Red leafed tree with bright pink flowers. Self-fruitful. Chill 300-400.
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Persian Green Plum
Small, sour plum, widely grown and recognized among serval Middle Eastern cultures. Known as Goje Sabz in Farsi, this plum eaten while sour and crunchy, often seasoned with salt. The fruit can also be left on the tree to ripen as small, soft, sweet and juicy plums.
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Santa Rosa Plum
Most popular plum in California & Arizona. Juicy, tangy and flavorful. Reddish purple skin, amber flesh tinged red. Late June in Central CA. 300 hours. Self-fruitful.
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Satsuma Plum
Long-time favorite plum in California. Mottled maroon over green skin, dark red meaty flesh. Sweet, mild, not tart. Excellent for jam. Harvest late July. 300 hours. Pollinized by Santa Rosa or Beauty.
Nuts
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All-In-One Almond
No. 1 almond for home orchards. Heavy crops of soft shell nuts with sweet, flavorful kernels. Hot summer required to ripen. 15 ft. tree, very winter and frost hardy. 300-400 hrs. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
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Placentia Walnut
Best of the Santa Barbara-types, selected in the early 1900s. Adapted to mild-winter coastal climates of Southern California. Medium-sized nuts with fairly well-sealed thin shells. Light-colored plump kernel, mild flavor. Est. chilling requirement: less than 300 hours. Self-fruitful. (Rootstock: NCB walnut or Paradox.)
Interspecifics
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Flavour Delight Aprium
Apricot-plum hybrid. Resembles an apricot but with a distinctive flavor and texture all its own. High taste-test scores, one of the most flavorful early season fruits. Early June. Very low chilling requirement, less than 300 hours. Self-fruitful, but largest crops when pollinized by another apricot. (Zaiger)
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Sweet Treat Pluerry
Sweet Treat is the first of its kind, the Pluerry™: a new fruit type from the genius of Floyd Zaiger. This taste-test favorite is a complex interspecific hybrid, predominantly of plum and cherry, combining the sweetness of a cherry with that summer fresh plum zing. Much larger than a cherry, this precocious and prolific variety will hang on the tree for over a month, and the colorful fruit make Sweet Treat a true ornamental. Tested as 46MB583. Harvest late June through July. Estimated chilling requirement 450 hours. Pollinizer required: Burgundy or Santa Rosa plum, or Flavor King Pluot® recommended. Patent Pending (Zaiger)
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Dapple Dandy Pluot
Taste test winner. Ranks with Flavor King Pluot® among the all-time top five best flavored fruits at Dave Wilson Nursery tastings. Creamy white and red fleshed freestone with wonderful plum-apricot flavor. Skin greenish-yellow with red spots, turning to a maroon and yellow dapple. August harvest in Central CA. 400-500 hours. Pollinized by Flavor Supreme Pluot®, Flavor King Pluot®, Santa Rosa, Catalina or Burgundy Plum. (Pat. No. 9254) (Zaiger)
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Flavour Grenade Pluot
Elongated green fruit with red blush. Crisp texture, explosive flavor. Taste test winner. Hangs on the tree for 4-6 weeks. Pollinized by Flavor King Pluot®, Dapple Dandy Pluot®, Emerald Drop Pluot® or Santa Rosa plum. 300-400 hours. (Pat. No. 12097) (Zaiger)